BIG Ten Week 4…

It’s a hot one in the BIG TEN this weekend and I’m not only talking about the play on the field…. Mother Nature has some extreme temps over many stadiums.

The overall national game schedule wasn’t too impressive for college football’s fourth week, but there were several important battles taking place in Big Ten Country as conference play kicked off in a big way.

Let’s recap Week 4….

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UNLV just couldn’t stop the Buckeyes… Ohio State struck first and often behind the play of J.T. Barrett. He threw touchdown passes to five different receivers in the first half! Barrett threw scoring passes to Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, Binjimen Victor, Terry McLaurin and K.J. Hill. True freshman running back J.K. Dobbins added to his growing resume by rushing for 95 yards on 14 carries before taking a seat just before halftime. Barrett finished the game going 12 for 17 for 209 yards. And backup Dwayne Haskins did pretty well for himself also going 15 for 23 for 228 yards and two scores. His scores went to C.J. Saunders and Rashod Berry.

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Maryland’s hot start came screeching to a halt yesterday when the Terps failed to defend their home turf against the UCF. For D.J. Durkin, the loss may reach much further than just the win-loss column.

True freshman quarterback Kasim Hill went down with a leg injury in the first quarter and did not return. Hill has been impressive while filling in for Tyrrell Pigrome since the season opener against Texas. With Pigrome out for the season, Hill became the fifth quarterback to start for the Terps since 2015.

Sophomore Max Bortenschlager took the reins at quarterback and threw for 132 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. D.J. Moore had another fine outing, hauling in eight passes for 83 yards and the team’s lone touchdown. The offense just wasn’t the same, however, and failed to reach 200 yards on the day. In its two previous wins, Maryland put up 534 yards against Towson and 482 against the Longhorns.

The UCF offense gashed the Terps with 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Knights had a three-week layoff thanks to Hurricane Irma, and they clearly used that extra time to their advantage.

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After a scoreless first quarter, both teams seems to settle down and get into the endzone.

With Wilson Speight is out of the game, Wolverines got on the board first due to injury,with a pass from John O’Korn to Zach Gentry from 12 yards. The scoring drive went for 13 plays, 84 yards.

And a little more than two minutes later, the Boilermakers scored on a 5 play, 75 yards march, which end with a 10 yard pass from Elijah Sindelar to Brycen Hopkins.

On the Wolverines next possession, O’Korn tosses a tipped interception to Navon Mosley. Boilermakers capitalize with a 29 yard field goal by J.D. Dellinger taking their first lead.

Second half adjustment award goes to coach Harbough as the Wolverines pulled away with two fourth-quarter touchdowns and holding the Boilermakers to just 189 yards of total offense with only 30 of those coming in the running game.
The biggest storyline surrounding this one is Jim Harbaugh’s quarterback situation. Wilton Speight has struggled this season, and he didn’t get the chance to bounce back on Saturday. The junior went down in the first quarter with what appeared to be an upper-body injury. Purdue had no x-ray machine available so Speight left the stadium for further evaluations.

Senior John O’Korn took over and was mostly impressive under center. He shook off an early interception and would end up with 270 yards through the air with a touchdown and the one pick. Chris Evans led the way for the Wolverine offense as the sophomore rushed for 97 yards and two scores, including a backbreaking 49-yarder late in the fourth quarter.

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BIG Nittany Lion victory against Iowa…

Saquon Barkley did just about everything in this game including rushed for 211 yards and a score, caught 12 passes for 94 yards, and added 53 kick return yards. That’s 358 all-purpose yards for the Heisman frontrunner.

The Hawkeyes took the lead late in the fourth quarter thanks to an Akrum Wadley touchdown run. With less than two minutes remaining, Penn State drove 65 yards and pulled off the game-winner as time expired; a seven-yard touchdown pass from Trace McSorley to Juwan Johnson.

McSorley threw for 284 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 61 yards as well. Wadley led the way for the Hawkeyes, accounting for 155 yards of total offense with two scores. Quarterback Nathan Stanley threw for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

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Spartans come up short in South Bend including a a number of critical mistakes that they just couldn’t recover from. One of the game’s pivotal plays took place in the second quarter. Tailback L.J. Scott had the ball stripped just inches from the goal line, handing the ball back to the Irish on a touchback. Notre Dame would then score again before halftime, giving them a three-touchdown lead.

Brian Lewerke completed 31 of 51 passes for 340 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Scott rushed for 61 yards while Lewerke chipped in with 56 of his own. The Spartans outgained the Irish by nearly 150 yards, but they were plagued by two lost fumbles and the interception.

Quarterback Brandon Wimbush accounted for two of the Irish scores; one through the air and one with his legs. Dexter Williams and Deon McIntosh also ran for touchdowns.

Well, week four now in the books… and on thing that came from this is injuries. Maryland and Michigan both have some serious question marks at quarterback right now. The Wolverines’ backup situation is in decent shape if Speight were to miss some time. For the Terps, the Kasim Hill injury – depending on the severity – could be a huge blow to the season.

It will be interesting to see how the Hawkeyes bounce back after that heartbreaking loss, but Iowa fans should feel pretty good about where things stand. There’s not a whole lot you can do about Saquon Barkley, but Kirk Ferentz’ team showed a lot of resiliency in the second half.

Next week the Buckeyes will head east to Rutgers in a game that should see a lot of Dwayne Haskins and/or Joe Burrow. Penn State hosts Indiana while the Hawkeyes travel to East Lansing. The Wolverines have a bye before they square off with the Spartans on Oct. 7.